Golf club



June 28, 1927.V

c. RIGBY GOLF CLUB Filed DGO. 6. 1926 5 mi 6 g l l 3/ Patented June 28,1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES RIGBY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

GOLF CLUB.

.Application led December 6, 1926. Serial No. 152,853.

My invention relates` to golf clubs, and nas for its object theproviding of novel means whereby the golf club may be taken apart forconvenience in carrying the same, and whereby a single handle may bearranged to serve for a number of heads, and whereby handles ofdifferent lengths may be provided for a given head shaft.

It is the object of my invention to rovide the club with a joint in thelength o the club, which when connected will secure the two sections innon-rotative and endwise relations without destroying the resiliency ofthe club.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tubular shaft for aclub with fixed collars and plugs and means to assist in dissociatingthe two sections of the club.

My present invention is an improvement on the invention shown, describedand claimed in my copending application for patent on improvements ingolf clubs, filed in the United States Patent Office Cctober 7, 1926,Serial No. 140,139.

I have found that one of the important features of a golf club made insections is that there be a positive lock between the sections to aid in-readily assembling the shaft sections and to prohibit relative turningbetween the shaft sections when the club is in use so as to maintainfirmness of the club. In my improved club I forni the joint in suchmanner as to insure a non-rotative relation between the shaft sections,but which can be easily dissociated without the aid of tools. I furtherprovide novel means for separating the sections of the club.

The invention will be further readily understood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved club of standard length.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the saine showing a short handle section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,partly broken away, showing my preferred joint.

Fig. 4 is a cross section o f the same, taken in the plan".J of the line4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a modied form of my invention, partlybroken away.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken in the plane o'f theline 6-6 of Fig. 5, partly broken away.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal axial section of a further modified form of thesame, partly broken away.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal axial section of an additional modified form ofthe same, partly broken away; and,

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the same, taken iii the plane of the line9-9 of Fig. 8.

I have shown my invention applied to a. club having a tubular steelshaft 21 provided with a head 22 and a handle 23. The shaft is dividedat 24, forming an upper handle section 25 and a lower head section 26.In my preferred form, one of the sections, exemplified as the handlesection 25, is provided with a plug 27 which is rigidly secured therein,as by brazing. The plug 27 has an extension 28, which forms ataperedshank.

The other section 26 of the shaft has a plug 29 fixed in its upper end,as by bein brazed therein. This plug has a tapered bore 30, arranged toreceive the tapered shank 28.

The complemental walls of the tapered shank and tapered bore may beprovided with a relief portion or portions for aiding in theirreadyassembly and release. Thus the tapered shank is provided with a taer portion 31 at the body of the lug an a tapered outer end 32. Intermeiate of the two tapered portions, the shank is undercut, as at 33.

A shoulder 34 is formed between the body portion of the plug 27 and thetapered extension. I provide the plug with positioning pins 35 locatedin the shoulder 34. The pins 35 are pressed into holes 36 in the plug.

The plug 29 has holes 38 about its upper end, positioned to receive thepins 35 for maintaining the shaft sections in .non-rotative relationwhen connected.

To the outer portion of the shaft section 25 I fix a collar 40, as bybrazing, and to the shaft section 26 I tix a collar 41. A sleeve 42having an inwardly extending iiange 43, forming a shoulder, is receivedover the collar 41, and has threaded connection 44 with the collar 40,for drawing the shaft sections toward one another, and thereby'causing awedging fit between the tapered portions 31, 32 of the shank and thewalls of the bore 30.

This joint being of substantially great length and of slight taper andotherwise of novel construction, permits a slight creeping between thecomplemental walls of the tapered shank and tapered bore, thecreepingbeing in opposite directions at opposite sides of said shank, forabsorbing the whipping action of the head to prevent detrimentalvibration at the handle at the impact between the head and the golfball, but insuring suflicient rigidity between the sections of thetubular shaft of the club to insure accuracy and distance in the drivingof the ball.

A knurled nut 45 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 46,forming a shoulder which coacts with the outer end of the lcollar 40 andhas threaded connection 47 with the sleeve 42, and aids in drawing thecollars toward one another, and locks the threaded parts together, Thesleeve 42 is also knurled to permit easy turning of the same.

The tubular sections are preferably slightly spaced apart endwise by anannular space 48, when said sections are conne'eted,whieh aids inabsorbing the whipping of the head section of the club. This space islocated between the shoulder 34 of the upper section and the end of thelower shaft section. The pins 35 are also preferably spaced from thebottoms'of the holes 38.

The sections of the club are easily separated for knock-down relation ofthe club, and to aid in separating the sections I rovide a shoulder,shown as a collar 50, xed

to the tubular sect-ion 26 and spaced from the sleeve 42. To disconnectthe sections the nut 45 is unthreaded and the sleeve 42 rotated. Whenthe sleeve contacts the collar it will force the shaft sections toseparate and thereby withdraw the' tapered shank 28 from the bore 30.

I have shown the taper shank 28 as exi tendin from the handle sectionand the tapere bore 30 as located in the head section of the golf-club,butit is obvious that the shank may extend from the head section and thetapered bore be located in the handle section. The sleeve 42 may belocated about the handle section and the arrangements of thecomplemental fastening means and of the lockin means may becorrespondingly reverse without departing from the spirit of myinvention as embraced in the scope of the appended claims.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I provide a cross pinpositioned in the taper shank 31. The ends of the pin 55 are received inslots 56 in the upper end of the' lower shaft section for arrestingrelative rotation between-the shaft sections. 'The pins are preferablyspaced from the bottom ofthe slots 56 when the shaft sections areassembled.

. In Fig. 7 I provide the end of the tapered shank 31 adjacent the bodyportion of the plug 27 with a square portion 60, which is received in asquare recess 61 in the plug 29 for contact with the `complemental wallsof said recess for arresting relative rotation between the shaftsections. The bottom wall of the recess is preferably spaced from thesquare portion when the parts are in assembled relation.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 I provide one of the shaftsections, shown as the handle section, with lengthwise extendingprojections, shown as lugs 65 extending from the collar 40, which arearranged to be received incorresponding slots 66 in the proximate end ofthe other'shaft section, shown in the collarl 41. Engagement between thewalls of the lugs and slots arrests relative rotation between the shaftsections. The outer ends of the lugs are preferably spaced from thebottoms of the slots when the parts are assembled'. l j

In my improved device a single handle section may serve a number of headsections, and handle sections of different lengths may be connected witha single head section. Thus a shorter handle section, exempliied at 70,may be connected with a head section, which is admirable, for instance,when putting.

The sections of my improved club may be readily disconnected for beingconveniently received in a usual suit case or Gladstone bag, or forother convenient packing, making the` carrying of the usual golf bagunnecessary when traveling).e

Havin thus fully descri d my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A golf club comprising a handle scclion and a head section, means atthe proximate ends of said sections securing said sections togethercomprisingatapered shank extending from one of said sections andreceived in a tapered bore in the other of said sections forming a wedgeconnectlon between said sections, means interposed between saidsectionsv 'for arresting 'relative rotation between said sections, and arotatable sleeve received over the adjacent ends of said sections, saidsleeve and said sections provided with complemental means respectivelyfor 4drawing said sections `together and for dissociating said taperedshank and the wall of said tapered bore by rotations of'said sleeve inopposite directions.

closing said space between said sections and clamping said sectionstogether.

3. A golf club comprising a handle section and a head section, means atthe proximate ends of said sections securing said sections togethercomprising a tapered shank extending from one of said sections and rc-Jceived in a tapered bore in the other of said sections forming a Wedgeconnection between said sectlons, means interposed between said sectionsfor arresting relative ro' tation between said sections, asleevereceived over the adjacent ends of said sections for drawing saidsections together, and a colla on one of said sections complemental tosai sleeve for aiding in dissociating said tapered shank and the wall ofsaid tapered bore when disconnecting said sections.

4., A golf club comprising a handle Section and a head section, means atthe proximate'ends of said sections securing said sections togethercomprising a tapered shank extending from one of sald sections andreceived in a tapered bore in the otherl of Said sections formin a wedgeconnection betweenl said sectlons, and a sleeve received about theproximate ends of said sections, one of said sections and said sleeveprovided with complemental threads for drawing ysaid sections toward.one another, and the other of said sections provided with a shoulderwith which said sleeve `coacts when unthreading said threads to forcesaid .sections signed my name.

, CHARLES RIGBY.

